I don’t like living any sort of stereotype.
Truly, we are all individuals who have lives that are uniquely lived. But it’s hard not to spot the different areas where certain scenarios play out that mirror a larger demographic. I find that is true in my life when it comes to my mother in law. We just don’t get along. When she comes to visit, I tend to hide out in the air conditioning in my office. That’s right, I will stay at work longer than I need to in order to avoid time with my mother in law. That sounds a bit stereotypical no? About a year ago, it got even more real. My mother in law moved about 15 minutes away from us. All the hiding in the zone controlled HVAC of the office wasn’t going to help me now. So, I just bit the bullet and went about doing the best I could. She of course did not and still treated me like garbage. But in the name of family, I chose to take the high road. I’d limit our contact as much as possible without disrupting my life and I would be respectful but not her punching bag. Then her air conditioning went out the first summer she was here. She immediately decided that she’d move in with us until the HVAC company could replace it. And that was looking like 4 to 6 weeks. I was panicked. But the HVAC company saved me by letting her use several portable air conditioners for free until the installation of the new HVAC equipment.